-oOo-

-oOo-

"Master," Belkis greeted with a curtsy.

"Teacher," Sylvia echoed, lightly lifting the hem of her Witch-Princess Dress.

Eyes like molten iron shot a sidelong look. Sylvia ignored her senior sister's rebuke.

Lady Vallenfelt was as riveting as always.

If she were to judge solely by appearance, Sylvia might mistake Esmeralda and Emily for sisters older and younger. Shaped by her second mortal life, Emily had deviated from her origin. The baroness had green hair that fell down her back in glossy waves, a shimmering sea of emeralds. The vivid color of Emily's had been muted by brown highlights, then the locks cut short so they swept out adorably around her ears.

But this was just the sharpest contrast.

Lady Vallenfelt was a figure of elegance, her face an ideal mix of cherub and aristocrat. Emily's frame tended more toward adorable and delicate. She was smaller, with wider eyes and a hint of baby fat. The emeraldette was so cute that Sylvia wanted to hug her and never let go.

Sylvia wondered how the two would appear when their souls joined.

And she dreaded it.

"Belkis. Sylvia. Take a seat," the Baroness responded, her quill scratching out swift words. "Dianna, that will be all for now. I will call you back on the morrow."

Esmeralda Vallenfelt sat behind her desk, a pile of papers and parchments in front of her. Her secretary, Dianna, stood beside, books and binders in hand. The baroness handed a sheet to the witch with sea blue hair. Dianna accepted the document without question.

"Of course, milady," Dianna said politely. She slipped the parchment into a binder. With swift steps, the ruby-eyed witch crossed the room, stopping briefly in front of the silver-haired asteri. "Welcome back to the Academy, Sylvia."

"Thanks," Sylvia replied. "I hope Lady Vallenfelt isn't running you ragged."

Belkis's gaze threatened to turn into iron needles.

Dianna showed a small smile.

"That would be Captain Lebas and Magistrate Carmody," Dianna answered. The woman stepped past them and out the door, performing a quick curtsy as she left. "Miladies."

With that, the blue-haired witch pulled shut the door.

They were alone.

"■, ■■, ■."

Privacy spells wrapped the room. Sylvia strolled over to the table near the balcony. Esmeralda remained at her desk for a moment, finishing a last bit of work. Belkis's burning eyes followed the silver-haired witch.

"I'll be with you in a moment. And Belkis, cease your attempts to light your junior sister on fire. I have long permitted Sylvia to call me Teacher. As I have you."

Sylvia would admit, she felt a bit smug when she sat.

Morning light poured in through the picture windows, colors hued by the stained-glass. The small table held no map, so Sylvia indulged in the perfect morning. Though the Timeless Beryl Wilderness's endless day would inevitably grow tedious, she intended to enjoy it before ennui set in.

Perhaps when she returned to Axis, Sylvia would be in the mood for a thunderstorm or even Starlight's oppressive jungle heat.

Belkis pulled back a chair and sat opposite. "Congratulations on consolidation, little sis."

"I still have to Awaken before I catch up with you," Sylvia accepted.

And it'd be three years before level six-hundred. Maybe a little longer. Maybe a little less. The exact time depended on how diligent Sylvia was when collecting experience. As her strength grew, the limits of digestion took a rising toll. Unless she were gifted higher quality resources, such as those compounded with soul essence, it was impossible to go faster.

For asteri, astral amber was the peak.

This was a disadvantage of being a rare species of demon. If Sylvia wanted better resources, she'd have to invent them herself.

"To think my little sis would try and break my master's record," Belkis mused.

"I will be extremely disappointed if she does not," Esmeralda cut in.

Lady Vallenfelt rose from her desk, crossing the room to sit with her disciples. Her smile turned gentle as she gazed at the ladies. The tenderness vanished into a serious manner as her eyes fixed on the silver-haired witch.

"Since we are on the topic of Sylvia's accomplishments, there is something I must warn. A first consolidation witch in her first year is no more than an oddity. A second consolidation witch in her second year conjures incredulity," the baroness said. "Most likely, my enemies will suspect you to be my clone. We will not dissuade them of this notion."

Grrk. Sylvia's expression soured. Belkis's nose scrunched.

"Belkis, I am not asking you to treat her as me," Esmeralda continued. "Indeed, it would not serve the illusion if it were so. Sylvia, however, I expect to behave in a manner most ladylike. Though, by no means do I ask you to wear my name, it is inevitable that your actions will reflect upon my reputation."

"Yes, Teacher," Sylvia droned.

Belkis's lips quirked. Perhaps the prisma recalled that Sylvia had the soul of a man.

"This will help serve your Awakening," Lady Vallenfelt continued. "But we will discuss such at a later date. Today, we talk war. Sylvia, give me your opinion on the gate."

Sylvia glanced in Belkis's direction.

"Belkis has been informed that I have sworn myself to a third party. And she knows what is necessary when it comes to the Cloud Island Wilderness."

Sylvia took the hint. Esmeralda's vagueness made clear Sylvia could share the broad details but not the specifics. And, as always, it was best not to speak the Devil's name out loud.

"I believe it'll work," Sylvia supplied. "But we won't be able to move appreciable material for a month or two. And it'll take three to four months before the gate reaches full capacity.

"As for the plane itself? It's a true wilderness. Setting the initial foundation will be the biggest challenge. The more tools and craftsmen we have, the better. Materials are nice, but in the long run we'll have to source everything locally. Once we get over that first hump though, I think things will work out."

Demons required neither food nor shelter to survive. They could endure illness, injury, and recovery from death. Even wimpy, little, twig armed asteri possessed supernatural strength. Compared to humans, it was far easier to live and thrive in the wild.

And then there were the numerous advantages magic brought.

"It's fine to move equipment. Even the junior students. But the second the graduates start disappearing, morale will collapse," Belkis interjected. Her molten iron eyes turned to the baroness. "Master, rather than put your fate in the hands of some secretive collaborator, it'd be better to break the siege."

It was already far too late to steal Esmeralda's fate from the hands of Lucifer, but Belkis did have a point.

"If we could defeat Marius so easily, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Lady Vallenfelt refuted.

"Master, you put your heart into this fief," Belkis appealed. "You shouldn't give it up."

Esmeralda sighed. "The Padure clan lends Vilhelm aid. This is not a kindness but an investment. They shall expect ample return. In the face of a greater foe, the Hoga have poured their own wealth into this war. As the pot still exceeds the value with which the two clans play, this storm will only howl louder.

"Vallen is but a small light. Without firming my bonds with the Codrin clan, it will inevitably be crushed."

And Lady Vallenfelt would not and could not bend knee to another lord. A vassal made their oath before the Heavenly Will. Esmeralda's allegiance was owed to Lucifer. If she swore herself, the Padure would know that her pledge was false.

"Could we sell the fief?" Sylvia suggested. "At the very least, the King would want to deny the rebels the ports and pool."

"Perhaps a year prior," the baroness said, shaking her head. "Now that the Hoga have rebuilt the harbor at Port Blaze, there is less interest. What is more, we are badly positioned. Port Blaze and the River of Fire divide us from Orasul Lunii. The King cannot guard these shores. It is already our fortune that the two clans race to the Frozen Wastes, leaving small matters to small men."

Sylvia nodded. The Padure and Hoga were only in it for the souls. They had no interest in building this plane. In fact, most of the rebels shared this goal. Which meant, Vallen's war was effectively with Baron Maxim and Maxim alone.

"That's why we should focus on breaking the siege," Belkis insisted. "Baron Ishii and Baron Cair only want to cash out. Taking Vallen doesn't serve their interest. Baron Nightstalker has already lost his fief, Bam, to the vampires. Right now, he sits in Muguang Fortress with nothing but a tattered army to his name. As long as we defeat Baron Maxim, Vallen will be secure."

"Marius' fight is not just for his own greed, but to secure the daylight side for the Hoga," Lady Vallenfelt corrected. "If we are victorious, the Hoga will simply order Baron Ishii and his rebels to clear the land on their behalf. There can be no victory, only stalemate. What we require is not triumph but time."

Sylvia considered for a moment.

"The Hoga and Padure ally themselves with the rebels and the king for legal reasons, right?"

Esmeralda turned to the silver-haired witch, umbral eyes showing a gorgeous nebula.

"That is correct. Without legitimacy, their act could only be called an invasion," Lady Vallenfelt said. "Which would be an invitation for greater powers to intervene."

Sylvia nodded. Nobody wanted an archduke to step in and 'save the day' for the low, low price of half the souls in the Frozen Wastes. There were already too many greedy hands at the till.

But there was an advantage Vallen had that the others did not. Theirs was the only fief uninterested in the pot.

"Then can't we do the same?"

Belkis shook her head. "Nice thought, little sis, but the situation is different. The demon king is the king, it's his right to call in foreign powers if he wants. And Baron Ishii has four nobles backing him, which gives him a legislative majority."

Both the king and the rebels had four nobles on their side. Barons Ishii, Maxim, Cair, and Nightstalker made up the resource faction while barons Gris, Vallenfelt, and Nicola Codrin backed the demon king. However, as Viscount Vilhelm was the king, he had lost his right to cast votes in parliament. Therefore, the legislature was split four-three in Baron Ishii's favor.

Thus, it was parliament who had, technically speaking, invited the Hoga into the Timeless Beryl Wilderness.

"Actually, I was thinking we could just sell the fief to a major lord from another plane," Sylvia continued. "That'd give them all the excuse they need to intervene."

In fact, rather than selling the fief, it'd be more accurate to say they'd be selling the right to join the war.

"An interesting idea," Lady Vallenfelt mused. A manicured finger tapped on the table. "But only a powerful lord would hold interest, given the presence of two great clans. We lack the connections. More importantly, the moment the Padure or Hoga knew of our efforts, they would smash Vallen with all their strength."

True.

"However, why need it be us who invites the outsider?" Lady Vallenfelt smiled. "Baron Gris, I imagine, is quite displeased by the arrival of the Padure clan. And Vilhelm himself might not be so disinclined to have the Padure's influence checked in his demesne."

Ah. Now there was an interesting plot.

-oOo-

Black robes rested on Sylvia's shoulders, the front clipped in place by a golden medallion and a pink ribbon. Beneath the thick cloth was a dress of white. Sylvia enjoyed the pleasant solidity of her new clothes. Her Witch-Princess Dress was more tolerable than her conjured outfit, but the conservative style of her uniform was more comforting.

Plus, she really liked her new beret. This one had the Academy's sigil, a quill crossing a wand over a giant star. This symbol marked Sylvia as a member of the command staff. Yesteryear, she'd been a mere student. Now, she was on the same level as Professors Fischer, Wright, and Myers.

Sylvia passed through the Academy's halls, Blood Bone Heels clicking on the stone floor.

In her mind echoed the cheerful sounds and sour grumbles of witches headed for class. It was hard to imagine that it was already the third week of Men-Lux. The Festival of Light had come and gone, marked by a short celebration with Emily on Starlight's shore. Side-by-side, the two had watched the stars fade and the sun rise.

If not for events, the witch might well be on the cusp of her third year. When Men-Vita arrived, a gaggle of first year students would have been born, eyes bright and fearful as they took in their new world.

Ah. It would've been so fun to tease them. The terrible and frightening stories she could've told.

Oh, well. Sylvia would just have to settle for misleading her fellow gamers instead.

Sylvia toured the school for another hour. Then she went on a hunt for Riley Smith.

B-bang! Bang!

A line of witches stood on the northern ridge of the Academy butte. Lightning flashed, jagged lines stretching across the starry void. Behind the strip of girls in green dresses were a pair of corporals in robes of black. One had a shaggy bob of blonde, feminine yet punk. The other had long, wavy, forest green hair that poured down her back.

Riley Smith and Natalie Ward.

Three squads of witches were conducting drills. Sylvia watched for a moment, witnessing the growth of skill. Valerie Baker merged the elements wind and fire with nary a thought. Margret Rivera conducted a short chant, blending three pairs of runes. Perhaps in a few months she'd achieve a full-scale fast incantation.

Practice bred mastery. Sylvia could see the girls had been working hard. The witch smiled.

Then her smile turned into a frown.

Lightning bolt was a spell that straddled the line between basic and advanced. Though the weave was simple, the balance of elements was a tricky thing. When casting a complicated spell, it was easy to make a mistake.

Bang! "Eeaaa!"

Electricity crackled. Instead of flashing out in a jagged bolt, the spell frame fractured. Lightning ether dispersed, cascading through the nearest object. Which, as it so happened, was the blue-haired witch called Kinsley.

Riley rushed forward the moment she heard the scream. The freckled blonde caught Kinsley before she could hit the ground. The girl's arm was blacked from the backlash, a spider web of flared red crawling through her skin.

"You put a little too much wind in it, I think," Riley said with a grin, trying to inject some levity. "Don't worry about it. For now, you can sit it out and wait until you recover."

Orange eyes, like the sunset on the ocean, turned stubborn. Kinsley wobbled back to her feet, clutching her cheap wooden staff. There wasn't even an elemental source on the top.

"I can still cast," Kinsley insisted. "I just tried to go too fast."

"No," Sylvia interjected. "You mistook baleyith for tayiimalth."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Both girls looked back in surprise. Riley's intense green eyes widened. Then a broad smile spread across her face.

"Sylvia. When did you get back?"

Instead of answering, Sylvia wove the elements water and earth to create wood. "■■■ ■■."

The spell sank into Kinsley's flesh. Burnt skin was smoothed, the injury seeming to vanish. This was just rough patchwork. No different than cleaning a wound, slapping on some ointment, then wrapping it in a bandage.

But it would, at least, help with the pain.

Healing magic was a complicated beast. The wood element could restore broken bones, ravaged skin, or shredded flesh. For a demon, these things were properly called the crust, the ether shell cast by the blood essence. If Sylvia used the aspect flesh, it was possible to go a step further and regenerate limbs or repair complicated organs such as an asteri's starlight eyes.

None of these things, though, would recover hitpoints. Blood essence was the core of life. Without it, healing magic was only papering over serious wounds.

The best way to restore hitpoints was with a potion.

A healing potion was nothing more than a blood element resource that a demon could quickly digest into essence. The simplest recipe was to take one part essence from the host and four parts from a phantasmal beast. After, a witch could mix them together then cast a series of spells to complete the alchemical transmutation.

But potions of this sort couldn't be carried around willy-nilly. Potions were perishable goods. They were also heavy. The key point, however, was that healing potions were always custom-made. In theory, Sylvia could siphon off 20 hitpoints from Kinsley's body, mix it with 80 hp worth of phantasmal essence, then create a potion that healed 75 over the next ten hours.

Or… she could just let Kinsley recover naturally.

Since this was Hell, Sylvia's preference was pretty obvious.

"Tayiimalth?" Kinsley questioned, looking at her hand with curiosity.

Sylvia slowly drew two runes in the air, treating her staff as a giant stylus.

"Baleyith is a nine crossing loop with four outward bulges and three eyes running through the center. Tayiimalth is Baleyith's left-handed reflection. Though they look almost identical, their meaning and elemental affinity is different. Baleyith is a metal element rune conveying the idea 'an explosive eruption'. Tayiimalth, by contrast, is a lightning rune with the meaning 'a flying spear'."

The silver-haired witch spoke loudly, so everyone could hear.

"Since the runes are from the same arithmatic denomination, they can be directly substituted. It's even possible to force the result into a bolt, but baleyith will interject volatility instead of stability. This incongruence results in a reduced effect."

Just as a reader could glean meaning from a poorly written paragraph, a spell could be cast even if there were contradictions. Kinsley had probably been casting her lightning bolt wrong since the start, failing to realize the source of her error.

"Go slow and practice your rune chains. When you get it right you'll feel the difference, at that point it'll be obvious," Sylvia advised.

The blue-haired witch nodded. Sylvia stepped away from the group. Riley followed, scratching a freckled cheek. Sylvia could hear the murmurs as she left.

"Mad dog's back." "Is Sylvia taking over?" "Will Emily return too?"

"Focus on the drills." The gossip was silenced by Natalie Ward's firm command.

Soon the two had retreated to the edge of the woods. Sylvia was glad to see the thick band of trees was still there. Keeping them was something of a strategic risk, though she supposed the towers to the east and west could see the astral side well enough.

"I haven't been teaching them wrong, have I?" Riley asked in embarrassment.

Sylvia put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "No. You got it right. It was Kinsley who made the mistake."

Unabashed, Riley Smith turned Sylvia's touch into a tight hug. The silver-haired witch welcomed it. The two parted after a few seconds. Riley was less clingy than Emily.

"Good to see you again," Riley said with a grin.

Sylvia appraised the tomboy's appearance. "Those robes look good on you."

"Tch. I don't want to hear it when you've got the Academy's coat of arms on your hat," Riley retorted.

"So…, when did they put you in charge?" Sylvia questioned.

She glanced back at her classmates. B-b-bang. Bang. B-bang. The void flashed as the group cast another series of lightning bolts. Lightning magic was strong. But subtle it was not.

"Shortly after you left," Riley answered. She watched the witches work for a moment. "I didn't deserve it then, but I made sure to earn it after."

"If you have them casting lightning bolt, you definitely earned your position," Sylvia agreed.

Lightning bolt was a thirty-one rune spell that demanded a delicate balance between wind and fire. The minimal energy was substantial, particularly for an unconsolidated witch. Sylvia could see a few students straining as they cast their spells. This would change as the witches grew older and their level higher.

"I kept up with your drills until they started to blend their runes," Riley explained. "After that, I figured they could handle a challenge. So Natalie and I decided on lightning bolt because, of the basic attack magics, it was the most useful."

Sylvia nodded. Lightning magic was perfect for warfare. It was long ranged, difficult to dodge, and deadly. The only spell more suitable was meteor blast. But there was no way an unconsolidated witch could handle the sheer amount of energy in that spell.

Also, meteor blast was firmly in the territory of advanced magic. The complexity was nearly a full level higher.

Oh. And fire magic was an ether hog. Without a good set of tools, the girls wouldn't get much mileage out of it.

Sylvia set a hand on her friend's shoulder. "From what I hear, you should be proud of yourself."

"They're the ones doing all the work," Riley refuted. "It's all I can do to keep up."

"Can't have the corporal falling behind," Sylvia teased.

Riley nodded. "Yeah. Unfortunately I'm shit at magic."

"Don't sell yourself short," Sylvia said seriously. "In terms of cultivation, you're the strongest witch in the group."

Riley grinned. "Think so?"

"I know so," Sylvia asserted firmly.

Sylvia had snuck in a few observes while hanging back. With all the magic flying around, it was no surprise that nobody had noticed. Her sampling had revealed the class's level was between 70 and 95. Riley stood at the peak with Natalie Ward one level behind.

The silver-haired witch paused. "■■■."

The world was suddenly wrapped in silence. Riley's green eyes were drawn to the spell. Sylvia studied her friend, fractal pink eyes serious.

"Lady Vallenfelt will soon offer you a chance to participate in an experiment," she said. "If you're worried about falling behind, you should volunteer for it."

The freckled blonde frowned. Her intense green eyes narrowed. "Is this why Emily disappeared?"

"No," Sylvia answered, lips pressed. "That had to do with something else, but it's not my secret to share."

"Then you know what happened to her?"

Sylvia blinked. "Of course. She was working with me. Didn't she tell you?"

Tension faded from Riley's body. "Well, she strongly implied it. But then she vanished off the face of the earth, so I've been worried."

"Well, you can stop worrying about that brat now," Sylvia ruthlessly dismissed. "Just this morning, she was crying her heart out while clinging to me."

"Pfft. And probably insisting: Sylvia, even if I'm not here, you still have to be your cutest!" Riley flashed a grin. "Thanks. That takes a load off my shoulders. So, guinea pig, huh? Is that why you….?"

Sylvia nodded.

"Damn. I always knew you were a little cheat," Riley groused. "If you really think it'll be good for me, I'm game."

"I'll put in a word with my teacher," Sylvia said. "It won't be for a few months. And when it happens, you'll be moved to the same place as Emily."

This was 'when' not an 'if'. Esmeralda wanted unconsolidated girls with high soul talent. Riley qualified. Since she was a friend and Sylvia was willing to vouch for her, Riley was now on the top of their list. Though taking the System did come with risks – like a shitty Devil spying through her eyes – Sylvia felt it was worth it. Sooner or later, everyone would have the System. Waiting only meant Riley would be further behind.

"Then, all-conquering hero, what's the plan now that you're here to save the day?" Riley joked.

"Ha," Sylvia laughed, expression tight. "I'm still not strong enough to be saving anyone, much less everyone."

The second consolidation was the start of true strength, but Baron Maxim's army had a dozen second consolidation demons along with three devils. This elite force was supplemented by soldiers, phantasms, and weapons of war. The rebel force had three lightning cannons and a single flame mortar, last she heard.

If Sylvia wanted to flip the table, she'd need to reach Transcendence at the least.

And it wouldn't be wise if she could.

But that didn't mean her presence was worthless.

A devilish smile spread on her lips. "I'm planning to give Marius a bit of trouble. But before that, I thought I'd head to the library and read a few books."

Riley rolled her eyes. "You're always reading books."

"Not as many as you'd think."

The Wizard Means Wise quest chain had dominated Sylvia's life during her first year at the Starlight Nether Witch Academy. Back then, she'd spent most of her free time slogging through mind-numbing textbooks. Sylvia would admit, she had benefited from all that reading. And not just because of her blank skill books. It'd helped her become a well-rounded witch.

Which was why Sylvia needed to finish what she had started.

"Since you're busy with drills right now, I'll leave you alone," Sylvia said. "When you have some free time tonight, you can tell me the story of what happened after I left. In return, I'll tell you the tale of Tartarus."

-oOo-

Chatter filled a repurposed lecture room. Instead of students, devils and professors filled the interior. Sylvia spotted Alison Myers to the right, with her black bob and sharp, violet eyes. Beside her was Abigail Wright, a plain figure wearing plain robes. Glenda Fischer, Isabella, Roisin Owsley, and three other professors hung out near the back.

Then there were faces Sylvia had only recently learned. Jovan Lebas, an appointed devil and captain of the guard. Jovan was an officer who served Lady Vallenfelt directly. These days, the man with reddish brown hair led Vallen's militia, the guards conscripted into the same force. Supposedly, Jovan was a werewolf, but as an Awakened demon there was little outward to show it.

Near him sat Dumitra Frunze, a stately vampiress. Dumitra was the head of Vallen's Hunter's Guild. The vampiress was an official devil but not one of Lady Vallenfelt's retainers. This, technically, put the woman outside the baroness's authority. The guild and fighters beneath her, however, had been pressed into Vallen's defense.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Order for the baroness!"

A light elf's voice rose over the din. This was Magistrate Brendt Carmody, the second of Lady Vallenfelt's appointed devils. The elf held a cane in hand, having used its butt to call attention from the crowd. What Sylvia found most interesting was that the elf was marked C-III/High by the System. Clearly, Brendt had been lazy in his cultivation. A common habit among demons who had little need for personal strength in their occupation.

The tuath genera was particularly famous for this, as the entire branch consisted of producers rather than consumers and was thus doomed to a slow and tedious growth.

Baroness Esmeralda Vallenfelt entered the hall.

Sylvia's teacher wore her armor, a demure white dress paired with a royal blue cloak. Thick enchantments and golden thread were woven through the fabric creating a barrier strong enough to stop a lightning bolt cold.

The witch took her place behind a podium. The baroness raised her staff, a branch of dark, craggy brown. At its crown was an orb swirling with dark clouds. Lightning crackled between them, a glimpse of light in a stormy night. The rise and fall of the branch was a gesture. Chains of runes rippled out with Esmeralda's motion, magic gathering into an illusionary map cast onto the wall behind her.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Esmeralda spoke, her tone smooth and authoritative. "I call you here tonight for a raid. Marius Maxim has rested too easy in these last few weeks. It is time we remind him that a siege is not a one-sided affair."

Some of the demons showed excitement. Others turned somber.

"Major Gavril Ghimpe, I will allow your lead on matters of war."

So said, Lady Vallenfelt stepped back leaving the podium free for Gavril Ghimpe. Gavril looked across the room with pure black eyes. His skin was pale, almost sickly, but his figure was broad and robust. The vampire cast the image of a true warrior.

"Thank you, Lady Vallenfelt," Gavril said, taking the podium after a bow. "This will be a major raid carried out by demons from both Vallen and the Fortress of Dawn. Our primary objective is to deplete Clara Arbores's phantasmal army."

Baron Maxim had five tattered Helheim Legions under his command. Nearly all the shamblers were gone, long-lost in the early phases of the war. Two thirds of the fighters and elites, however, remained. To supplement this force, Clara Arbores had a cadre of beast masters collecting blood wolves and lightning hawks. They even had a few golden arktos from the Daylight Forest kept in reserve.

By number, these phantasms made up the bulk of the sieging force.

Complementing the phantasms was a troop of a thousand demons.

Vallen, on the other hand, was short on phantasms. Before Sylvia left for Tartarus, Esmeralda had set her witches on taming the territory's beasts. Most of these had been killed during the siege. The strongest phantasmal army Vallen had left were the gargoyles, which couldn't fly far from their roost.

Not that thirty-eight Class III flying beasts was something to scoff at. Particularly since they could resurrect.

"This raid will involve five hundred demons. Our goal is to claim the overlook three kilometers to our south," Major Ghimpe said, using a rod to point at the map. "Once taken, two cannons and six ballistas will be placed on the hill. It is imperative that we do not lose these strategic assets. Particularly the cannons, as these are a core part of our defense."

Vallen had the industry to make new ballista, though materials were getting tight. If the cannons were lost, new ones could only be brought by way of the starry void. And with the Hoga exerting pressure, it'd be very difficult to slip in a ship on the daylight side.

"Once we have the hill, we will conduct a series of strikes into the forest. The Academy is providing seventy witches for this fight, while the baroness will personally light up targets from the air. So the baron's troops will definitely take a beating.

"Any questions?"

Major Gavril's expression remained stern while he waited.

"What if we get a shot on Marius' cannons?" Belkis asked, voice raised so she could be heard.

"Strategic assets take priority over phantasms," the major said. "However, the ground force won't advance more than two kilometers from the outlook so as to ensure a clean retreat. If the cannons are too far out for witches to hit, we won't touch them."

Magecraft held a decisive advantage in warfare.

Ki based arts were ill-suited for ranged conflict. Bows could be used, provided the projectiles were laced with magic, but even then they lacked the sheer power of melee arts. Ballista and siege weapons could make up for this, to an extent. But only to an extent.

Natural magic was better, but most bloodlines lacked reach. Gavin's flesh manipulation had a range of 30 meters. Nasty in a small fight on the ground, worthless in war. By contrast, a lightning lance could slay targets at up to 5000 meters distant. Meteor blast, when launched at a forty-five-degree angle, could strike foes 1500 meters away.

There was simply no comparison.

Skilled mages were ten times rarer than natural users. This was even truer on a barely developed colonial plane. Of the thousand or so mages in the Timeless Beryl Wilderness, seven hundred had been trained by the Starlight Nether Witch Academy. Half of those had returned to their roots.

Which meant the Academy held a third of the plane's skilled mages.

Lady Vallenfelt was offering seventy witches, all of whom were first consolidation graduates. Unlike Riley's squad, these witches could cast meteor blast. As for Baron Maxim? The lord might be able to muster a total of five casters to counter.

Jovan Lebas spoke next. "How will we handle Baron Maxim's counter-attack?"

Major Ghimpe answered. "We have examined two scenarios. First, where we meet Maxim's force before we reach the outlook. In this case, we will fight forward until a hundred of our soldiers have been slain. At this point, we'll fall back. In the second case, the rebels counter after we take our position. If this happens, we will hold until I call a general retreat."

"And if neither of these occur?" Jovan asked after.

"Then we stay for twelve hours to bait a response, killing everything in range," the vampire answered. "After, the witches will burn as much of the forest as they can before falling back."

Burning the forest served a strategic purpose. The woods were a form of cover. Without it, the territory would transform into a no man's land where Marius' men dared not set foot.

"How will we protect ourselves from the rebel's soul beacons?" Dumitra questioned. The vampiress was pale like a corpse. Most vampires were fair-skinned, but few were so white it was unnerving.

"A tactical beacon will be brought to the outlook," Gavril answered firmly. "And the witches will be there to test the draw. We'll know if Baron Maxim's beacons threaten to overwhelm our own. And if the worst happens, the cannons still positioned on the fort will be in range. They will destroy our own beacon should there be risk of capture.

"However, I find this outcome unlikely. Unless the Baron dares sneak his very close, the strategic beacons set in the Academy and the Fortress will win out."

"And what if he does bring a beacon close?" Magistrate Carmody questioned.

"Then, ladies and gentlemen, we have our strategic target," Gavril said firmly. "I have been assured that no level of anti-divination can keep a beacon hidden at the distance of less than two kilometers. Which will place it firmly in range of our cannons, our witches, and the baroness."

"Ke ke ke," Glenda Fischer sounded, wearing a wicked grin. "What happens if Marius has been reinforced by the other rebels?"

Sylvia facepalmed. Did Professor Fischer really have to cackle?

Gavril's eyes were hard, like obsidian. "Then it's best we learn it now. The outlook is close enough to receive support from our heavy weapons, so even if our opponent's strength is overwhelming, we'll be able to stage a retreat."

Well, in the actual worst case scenario, they'd just get squashed. But that was true whether or not they left their fortifications, so there was no point thinking about it.

Silence fell over the room. Lady Vallenfelt stepped forward reclaiming the podium.

"Call your men to arms. We leave in two hours."

-oOo-

Soul Beacon

Often likened to enlarged soul lamps, soul beacons act by forcefully materializing and drawing all souls within a given area. Soul beacons range in size from strategic to tactical. Tactical beacons are small enough to be carried by a small crew or cart. These tools can gather souls from a kilometer or so. Strategic beacons tend to be fixed assets, capable of covering multiple kilometers. Some can envelope an entire city.

While superficially similar to soul lamps, beacons operate on fundamentally different principles. Lamps draw or capture a single soul in a focused, technical manner. Beacons create a well, or pit, which causes souls to naturally sink toward the center. Though this mechanism is crude, the straight forward function makes beacons difficult to counter.

This also means soul beacons are easily detected. Anti-divinations can only shield a beacon's presence outside its area of effect.

If multiple beacons overlap, the drawing force will be divided between the two. If a soul finds itself in a neutral overlap it will tend to flow in the direction of its anchor, for better or worse. A slip ring cannot ignore a soul beacon, but they can reduce the beacon's impact by a good twenty to fifty percent. This doesn't mean a beacon cannot be defeated, spells and tools for this purpose exist. It's even possible to key specific souls to a beacon, allowing them to bypass the effect.

Because soul beacons disrupt the normal flow of resurrection, they are kept off during peace time.

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